Nov 5, 2020Survey Finds Americans Lack Health & Fitness Direction
According to a recent consumer survey, Americans are having difficulty maintaining emotional balance as well as holding on to fitness goals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
An Optimum Nutrition consumer survey of more than 1,000 people of the general population found that 62 percent of respondents are concerned with their overall health while 63 percent of respondents admitted they are not as active as they’d like to be during the pandemic.
“COVID-19 has disrupted our fitness and nutrition routines and it’s taught us a lot about ourselves. We commissioned this survey to measure how we could support consumers in maintaining their fitness and self-care routines. We found that while Americans have weathered significant setbacks, they are resolved to take charge of their own health and fitness,” said Sarah Lombard, marketing director for Optimum Nutrition, in an issued press release.
Speaking of supplements, 57 percent of respondents said they’ve learned more about supplements and its benefits while 63 percent of those respondents were college graduates. Additionally, a quarter of men surveyed and 31 percent of women said the pandemic has inspired supplement use. Fifty-three percent of those interested in supplements said they’d like something to specifically boost their immune system.
While many were focused on learning more about supplements, more than half (51%) admitted to exercising less than before the pandemic, and 45 percent reported gaining weight.
“A lot of the insights were found were to be expected. There is a sense of stress and concern about emotional well-being,” Lombard, said in an issued press release. “We found that with this concern about their health and well-being there is an increased interest in supplements going forward.”
In regards to respondent’s mental health state amid the COVID-19 pandemic, 45 percent reported feeling “less like myself” while nearly 60 percent feel they’ve lost a sense of community and two out of five people expressed concerns about maintaining relationships.
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But, despite the negative survey results, the respondents still remained optimistic, as nine out of 10 responded that they’ve learned something about themselves — nearly a third saying they’ve realized they’re “strong and resilient.”
“Just like resistance in exercise, adversity can build strength,” Lombard said in the release. “Individually and together, we know we can emerge from this challenge more resilient, more committed to our well-being and, ultimately, better than before.”
To read the full press release from Optimum Nutrition and its October survey, click here.
